I chose these color schemes and this font style in the title because I believe that they best represent Prospero's character. I chose red and purple as the colors to use because they are "royal colors". They are the colors that represent Prospero because he is rightfully the Duke of Milan. He has royal blood. The colors red and purple are the first colors that pop into my mind when I think of royalty. I chose the font style in the title because it makes my think of someone who is powerful and royal. Both the words "powerful" and "royal" are accurate in describing Prospero. He is powerful because throughout "The Tempest" he uses magic and sorcery to control his enemies. He gained power and control over where he wanted them to be in relation to his plan of regaining his Dukedom. He is also royal because he is the rightful Duke of Milan.
10 Important Details
1. Prospero enslaves Caliban and Ariel throughout “The Tempest”. This may relate to how the British forced white Irish slaves to leave their country and be shipped to America in the 1600s. They were punished in the harshest ways if the slaves rebelled.
2. It was during the late 1500s and the early 1600s that the witchcraft trials reached their peak in Europe. This relates with how Prospero commonly used his magic in “The Tempest”. If people of Milan knew that Prospero was studying magic during that time, they would hang him for the crime of witchcraft.
3. In “The Tempest”, Milan is the city which Prospero is the rightful Duke. During the 1600s, there was a war in Milan, Italy. The French were battling the Spanish and Austrians. So technically speaking, Prospero and his gang would be sailing back to Milan only to find a war for Prosper to deal with.
4. Adultery in the 1600s Italy was considered deviant because the dominant religion was Catholicism. This is a possible reason for Prospero’s warning to Ferdinand about committing adultery with Miranda.
5. Prospero’s plan to bring his enemies before him and to confront them for their treachery is like a game of chess. Shakespeare included the scene of Ferdinand and Miranda playing chess to analogize this.
6. Prospero would be the ruler of the provinces and the superiors of the counts in the Milan, and in the feudal monarchies, the highest-ranking peers of the king.
7. The Italian name “Prospero” means to prosper. “Prosper” means to be successful or fortunate. This is an important fact because in the end of “The Tempest”, Prospero does succeed in his plan of gaining his Dukedom.
8. The meaning of Miranda’s name is “worthy of admiration” which is why Shakespeare chose Prospero and Ferdinand to admire her so much. This is also shown in the text in Act 3 when Ferdinand first learns Miranda's name. Ferdinand exclaims that all the world should admire her.
9. The symbolism of the "Tempest" refers to the storms which Prospero and Ariel controlled using their magic to bring the King and his men to the island.
10. From 1629-1631, the Great Plague of Milan struck Italy and killed many people. Prospero would return to his homeland only to find most of his people dead (If it struck during that time period).
I chose the song, “The Final Countdown” (composed by Europe) because this is really “the final countdown”, or final chance, for Prospero to return to Milan and regain his original position as Duke. He also wants his daughter Miranda to return so that she can understand civilization and the world outside of where they are. If Prospero fails in drawing the King and his men to the island, and if he fails in his complicated scheme of regaining his Dukedom, then he will be stuck on the island forever. For that reason, it is his “final countdown” or last chance for him and his daughter to leave the island. Another reason I chose “The Final Countdown” was because the sound of the song feels powerful, like Prospero. Prospero is powerful because he is intelligent and he has magical powers which he uses throughout the entire play.
This image represents how Prospero was always studying his magic books in “the Tempest”. For that reason, he lost his dukedom and was shipped off to an island with his daughter. Prospero’s magic books play a major role in the story because he frequently needs them in order to perform his magic on the King and his men.
This image shows Prosper holding his magical staff which he also needs throughout the story. His staff contributes to the magic that he performs in order to control the King and his men on the island. It is like a crutch to him because he always needs it to fulfill his plans of regaining his dukedom. He cannot do this without his magical staff.
This is an image depicting Prospero and his daughter, Miranda. His daughter plans to marry Ferdinand in “the Tempest” which is why the woman in the picture is wearing a wedding gown. Prospero loves Miranda very much and only wants what is best for her. In this case, he believes it is to marry Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Naples
Here we see the storm blowing the King and his men’s ship out of control. Prospero controlled this “tempest”, or storm with the help of his magic books, his magic staff, and his servant Ariel. This storm in Act 1 is the cause of the King’s presence and his men’s presence on the island. Prospero brought them to the island so that he could have a chance to get back to Milan and be Duke again.
I chose these color schemes and this font style in the title because I believe that they best represent Prospero's character. I chose red and purple as the colors to use because they are "royal colors". They are the colors that represent Prospero because he is rightfully the Duke of Milan. He has royal blood. The colors red and purple are the first colors that pop into my mind when I think of royalty. I chose the font style in the title because it makes my think of someone who is powerful and royal. Both the words "powerful" and "royal" are accurate in describing Prospero. He is powerful because throughout "The Tempest" he uses magic and sorcery to control his enemies. He gained power and control over where he wanted them to be in relation to his plan of regaining his Dukedom. He is also royal because he is the rightful Duke of Milan.
10 Important Details
1. Prospero enslaves Caliban and Ariel throughout “The Tempest”. This may relate to how the British forced white Irish slaves to leave their country and be shipped to America in the 1600s. They were punished in the harshest ways if the slaves rebelled.
2. It was during the late 1500s and the early 1600s that the witchcraft trials reached their peak in Europe. This relates with how Prospero commonly used his magic in “The Tempest”. If people of Milan knew that Prospero was studying magic during that time, they would hang him for the crime of witchcraft.
3. In “The Tempest”, Milan is the city which Prospero is the rightful Duke. During the 1600s, there was a war in Milan, Italy. The French were battling the Spanish and Austrians. So technically speaking, Prospero and his gang would be sailing back to Milan only to find a war for Prosper to deal with.
4. Adultery in the 1600s Italy was considered deviant because the dominant religion was Catholicism. This is a possible reason for Prospero’s warning to Ferdinand about committing adultery with Miranda.
5. Prospero’s plan to bring his enemies before him and to confront them for their treachery is like a game of chess. Shakespeare included the scene of Ferdinand and Miranda playing chess to analogize this.
6. Prospero would be the ruler of the provinces and the superiors of the counts in the Milan, and in the feudal monarchies, the highest-ranking peers of the king.
7. The Italian name “Prospero” means to prosper. “Prosper” means to be successful or fortunate. This is an important fact because in the end of “The Tempest”, Prospero does succeed in his plan of gaining his Dukedom.
8. The meaning of Miranda’s name is “worthy of admiration” which is why Shakespeare chose Prospero and Ferdinand to admire her so much. This is also shown in the text in Act 3 when Ferdinand first learns Miranda's name. Ferdinand exclaims that all the world should admire her.
9. The symbolism of the "Tempest" refers to the storms which Prospero and Ariel controlled using their magic to bring the King and his men to the island.
10. From 1629-1631, the Great Plague of Milan struck Italy and killed many people. Prospero would return to his homeland only to find most of his people dead (If it struck during that time period).
Song
I chose the song, “The Final Countdown” (composed by Europe) because this is really “the final countdown”, or final chance, for Prospero to return to Milan and regain his original position as Duke. He also wants his daughter Miranda to return so that she can understand civilization and the world outside of where they are. If Prospero fails in drawing the King and his men to the island, and if he fails in his complicated scheme of regaining his Dukedom, then he will be stuck on the island forever. For that reason, it is his “final countdown” or last chance for him and his daughter to leave the island. Another reason I chose “The Final Countdown” was because the sound of the song feels powerful, like Prospero. Prospero is powerful because he is intelligent and he has magical powers which he uses throughout the entire play.
http://www.women-lifestyles.com/images/MagicBook.jpg
http://www.saintjohnshakespeare.ca/archives/images/tempest/costumes/3.jpg
http://furzephoto.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/002-nf8p0334f.JPG
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/information/images/information/theft/rembrandt_storm.jpg